Chapter 28 : A Council
I do not own Harry Potter
Author's Notes:
1) Another new supporting character - Narcissa Malfoy.
Is this one too many? I'm not sure, but if you're gonna be fighting against an evil undead dark lord, I'd say you'd take all the help you can get. Besides, the end of DH showed she has at least A LITTLE redeeming factor about her, and with her being one of the more unexplored characters from the stories, I'm excited to add that dash of originality to the story.
2) On Draco Malfoy, I'm still on the fence. Where does he go at the end? I'll leave it up for discussion for now - (eventually) good guy or bad buy?
Enjoy!
|Black Townhouse| 12, Grimmauld Place| London| December 20th 1993|
"This must be your the first family meeting in-"
"12 years" Andromeda completed for her husband, as they sat themselves to the left of the seat at the head of the table.
A 'Family Council' was part of the oldest of traditions amongst the Ancient Houses. The current Head of House could send a notice to all family members to appear at a place of their discretion. To join the meeting, one must simply speak the password and tap their family rings with their wand, and voila. Here also lied the security for the meet - since only family members could make use of the rings, it became impossible for a compromised member to endanger the rest, on purpose or otherwise.
"You're really not going to tell me what's going on?" asked the Healer
"Hmm... Nope" replied Andi after a thoughtful hum, a smug smirk plastered on her face
CRACKKK!
The proprietary chime of an apparition rung across the room as the Tonks couple was joined by a third attendee - Narcissa Malfoy. "Andromeda" she acknowledged, seating herself diagonally opposite the pair, pointedly ignoring Ted's presence.
Following an interlude of complete silence, the rest of the attendees all came - Harry Potter & Nymphadora Tonks, who were immediately engulfed into a loving hug by the Potter proxy, both having left for Grimmauld Place directly from Hogwarts. The new entrants then embraced briefly with Ted, before the final participant joined them - Sirius Black.
The Marauder was met with a steely look from his cousin, and wisely chose to avert her gaze for the moment... As it turns out, leaving your charge with a reckless gatekeeper before getting yourself tricked & locked up in prison for years, also setting off a chain of events leading to said charge landing with abusive relatives while sentencing your one supportive cousin to a dozen or so years of obscurity and misconception of being disowned, wasn't the best premise to meet them for the first time in over a decade for.
Phew, when you put it like that - that may be the single, biggest fuck up in history... And unfortunately for the dog animagus, he couldn't help but snicker.
Which was, without doubt, the worst possible way to react. But then again, considering who he was, Sirius wasn't really surprised 'the-absolute-worst-possible-option' was the one he found himself with.
"Sirius Black, looking rather healthy for a man on the run" greeted Narcissa blandly "... though I suppose in hindsight it was obvious you were going to use the wards around this place" the Malfoy observed.
As Sirius began walking over to table, she continued "You could've at least had the courtesy to invite Lucius, especially if they were invited" she remarked with a sneer towards Harry and Ted.
"Oh it wasn't my call" Sirius said without elaborating as he sat down to the immediate right of the head seat A perplexed Narcissa watched as Harry Potter, her son's arch nemesis and the child considered responsible for the downfall of her husband's boss sat at the summit of the gathering.
"Preposterous! What is the meaning of this?!" she outraged as the Malfoy plans centered around Draco inheriting the lordship seemingly crumbled before her eyes "He's not even Black by blood!"
"Narcissa Malfoy, nee Black, meet Harry Potter, Heir & Acting Head of the Black Family" the most wanted man in Britain announced with poorly concealed relish.
"Dad, could you check if Auntie's having an aneurysm?" Dora interjected innocently, though also with barely veiled amusement "Don't worry dear Auntie, he's an excellent heal-"
Narcissa rose from her seat. "I refuse to be fooled by this charade you disgracefu-" she began objecting, but immediately halting as Harry raised his hand closer to her. And there it was, glorious as ever, the heirship ring, irrefutable evidence of the Gryffindor's status. Crashing onto her seat, she began eyeing the rest for an explanation, as the gears turned in her head a thousand miles an hour.
"Great, so at least you're realizing how royally buggered you and your husband are when this news breaks out, and it will. The only question is, do you intend on sinking with your criminal of a husband... or perhaps you wish to save yourself, and maybe your only kid while you're at it?" pondered Sirius
"And to what do I owe this gesture of generosity?" she asked stiffly, as her gaze examined Sirius closely
"Me" inserted Andi, drawing her sister's attention "Oh please" she scoffed "Not a word in 10 years and now you want me to believe that there's still something left between us?"
"Yes" Andromeda replied instantly "At least from me, that is. You're a proud, smart woman who made some poor choices after she was forced into a marriage she is deeply unhappy with"
"Don't you dare make such an assumpt-"
"So you're not?" asked Sirius "Tell me, are you really, AT ALL, happy with your marriage?"
"My business is my own you mudblood-loving cretins!" seethed Narcissa
"Who are trying to lie to here, Cissy" sighed Andi, using her sister's childhood nickname "Even you know Lucius to be just about the scum of the earth, and you'd have ended your marriage years ago if not for your son; you more than anyone don't want him to turn out like his father"
"His father is a successful, honorable man rich beyond the ordinary man's wildest dreams, you are foolish to think if you can entice me into being disloyal to my spouse. Was this your grand plan? A few words here and there and I would bow to this inheritance-stealing son of a mudblood!"
"Alright then, let's get down to business" Harry spoke up for the first time, suppressing whatever retort he had in store for his new 'aunt'. "Now, I can't make you divorce him, but I can do this - your husband is out of the Black family for treason. Your son is temporarily out of the line of succession till he denounces his ties with Lucius" he said in one breath. "You can't do that" laughed Narcissa "not unless you have-"
"-Reasonable cause" completed Sirius for her "And we do" he added with a smirk
"May 29th, 1993" Harry took over "Your 'honorable' husband attempted to cast the killing curse on me, the designated heir of the Black family. Possible motivations include persisting loyalty to R- Voldemort, or maybe usurping the heirship for his son. Either way, those are irrelevant. As Acting Head I can act on evidence presented to me, and I have."
"Magic is far more arcane and powerful than modern criminal justice, and unlike the latter, it is also sentient. Now we can't have him thrown in prison because of 'insufficient or unconvincing evidence', but we can 'try' him as far as the family is concerned. Magic has deemed it sufficient, and so, as they say, mote it be" concluded Sirius
Narcissa was speechless. Deep down, she knew every word Andromeda had said about Lucius and Draco was true. She also knew Draco idolized his father beyond all. The same father that had cost all two... no, three of them by his monstrosity... And it went beyond just status. Anybody could become a 'Black' in name. IN times of crisis, even adopted children could take the name and carry the line and its fortunes forward. But they were not the true gift.
Family magic gifted you power. Each Black, herself, Sirius, Andromeda, Draco, and as it seemed, Potter, were all blessed in one way or another, and some more than others. A child was said to have bred 'true' if they manifested the real gift - magic. You couldn't really pinpoint it - knowledge, strength, abilities... these gifted children would just be a cut above the rest. Like Sirius was in their generation... and Draco in his.
At the start of last summer, she couldn't have been prouder, he son had began showing his affinity for celebrated Black family abilities - illusory, not like Nymphadora' s metamorphism, but illusions - conjuring reality, albeit in the rawest form - he'd subconsciously turn apples into his favored shade, but there was a glimmer of hope. Then there was his naturally high speed, the penchant for fire-elemental spellwork... and the signs were there for much more to come as he grew.
All for nothing. Draco would never be able to live up to his full potential. Even worse, once he found out, perhaps irrevocably fall into his father's clinches.
"...You would do this to Draco yet want me to believe you would so selflessly spare me from any consequences" she finally spoke up
"That's your sister, not me" Sirius answered blandly "There's benefit in bringing you over, alright. Always had a way with people, been helping Lucius get his fingers into a lotta pies over the years. And if I were to wager, dirt on a lot of people, always a handy to have... But most importantly - you were on the inside. You know just who was a Death Eater and who wasn't. I'm assuming you're smart enough to know old Voldie's still around."
The lack of reaction from the Malfoy was confirmation enough. He'd taken a risk in leaking that bit of information, but Narcissa was bound by silence so he wasn't too concerned. Besides, that bit of information played in their favor.
"And we'd bring Draco back in" added Andi, knowing what, or rather, who Narcissa's priority was. "If he does return, you know your son will have to join, whether he likes it or not... that or getting himself killed. Getting him away from Lucius is the only way you can protect him"
"Bold of you to assume he, or I, for that matter wish to switch sides"
"Fine, don't" Sirius answered simply "Just know this - your husband is doomed for sure once people realize he's been lying to them for years, the same guy, by the way, who will doom Draco as well. Speaking of him, Draco might worship his father, but he listens to you too. You come this way, at least there's a chance Malfoy Jr. turns out alright... That'll be all, Cissy."
And that's a wrap!
A short chapter, just to try and hop back onto the regularity train
Thanks for reading!